Thursday, September 22 – Isaiah 49:6

He says, “It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant

To raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the protected ones of Israel;

I will also make You a light of the nations

So that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

From an early age, we begin to look for purpose and significance. For a child, it may look like showing off a new skill to loved ones. As an adult it may be trying to find a job that uses our skills for a purpose. When we think about the purpose of our faith, we often think about things that benefit us—salvation, the Holy Spirit, and our hope beyond the grave. In this passage we see another unifying purpose for God’s grace and restoration: that His salvation may reach to the end of the earth.

When you look around at your church or in your small group and recognize the common bond you share, remember that it is for more than your own benefit. The church is not a social club; it is a family called to a purpose. We have been made light to the world so that God’s salvation may reach the ends of the earth. When we remember the mission we share, barriers of opinions and preferences come crashing down. When we are unified in our purpose for others to know the gospel, we not only bring more people in, but we also grow deeper in our connection with one another. This must be more than an afterthought or a bonus to our relationship with God; it is the central mission that ties us together.

• How can you remind yourself daily of the purpose you have in Christ?
• What would it look like to pursue this purpose regularly with other believers?
• Pray and repent for the moments that you have not lived with the purpose God has given you in mind. Ask Him to help you see how to live out this purpose in your daily life.